Love Potion No. 9
by Cali
Summary: The Gryffindor/Slytherin-rivalry is stronger than ever, and in the middle of all of this, Snape hands out love potions... (PG13 for a little swearing)


Hermione sighed.  
As the quidditch final between Gryffindor and Slytherin was coming up, the house rivalry was stronger than ever. Even the Hufflepuffs and Rawenclaws had been dragged into it, the Hufflepuffs with Gryffindor, and the Rawenclaws were 'neutral' (even though everyone knew that they were on Slytherin's side).   
So now, the fight between the two was standing still; they won and lost points.  
She sighed again.  
Potions.  
Not only was it with the Slytherins and double, it was also with the Slytherin Head of house, Severus Snape. 

She walked through the door, and sat down next to Harry and Ron.  
Something was different with the classroom though; and she couldn't put her finger on it.  
No, the smell was still terrible.  
No, Malfoy still had that stupid grin painted across his face.  
She glanced one more time at him; he looked just as always.  
Slender and tall, silvery hair dangling in front of steely eyes. If it wasn't for his constant smirk, he could have been good looking.  
But something was different with the dungeon.  
And no, it wasn't a new wallpaper.  
Then she realised it; it was Snape. He wasn't smirking or making rude remarks as always, today, he looked as sour as grape, and scowled at the students.  


"Today, we will be making a love potion, known as 'number 9'. It was used during the 1930's to give a lightheaded crush."  
The class gasped, and several girls began giggling.  
Hermione met the Slytherin prefect Blaise Zabini's eyes, and rolled her own at the stupid ninnies in her class. Blaise nodded, showing that she understood.  
Being a Slytherin, Blaise was kind of nice, and Hermione suspected the reason she had been put in Slytherin, was because of her great ambitions.  
"It was not my idea, but Dumbledore's. Now, we will only be using it in THIS class, so if anyone are caught making it will be expelled. Now, we will pair up."  
Chaos soon erupted, but ended as Snape announced that the couples already had been made by the Head Master.   
"Let me have a look..*grmpf*...Miss Bullstrode and Mr. Weasley, Miss Nott and Mr. Potter..." Snape went on and on, but Hermione's name was still not mentioned.  
"-and at last, Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy."   
She could see both Draco Malfoy, her archenemy, and Snape curl their lips, although Malfoy didn't make the effort of looking repulsivly at her.  
"Now, pair up, and start working.  
Hermione grabbed her cauldron, and walked over to Draco.  
When she sat down, he scowled at her.  
"You should know I only do this to get my grade up, Granger."  
"Well, the same goes for me, Malfoy."  
And they began working.

"Cover your cauldrons, and let them simmer for a while."  
Hermione shot a glance at her and Draco's potion.   
It had become sky blue, some twirls of black in it.  
She looked at Draco, sceptical.  
"Is this how it's supposed to be?"  
He scoffed.  
"Of course it is."  
He was about to say more, but was interrupted by Snape.  
"Now, all you have to add, is a tear from the one you are going to fall in love with. If some of you have a problem with crying, come up here and sniff this onion."  
Almost all the Slytherins and some of the Gryffindor boys did as he said.  
Draco however, remained sitting.  
"Don't you have to go up there, Malfoy?"  
He smirked at her.  
"Haven't you ever heard of crocodile tears, mudblood? Tears are among the easiest things to fake."  
She shot him a dark look, before walking up to Snape's desk.

As Hermione was about to leave the desk, tears running down her cheeks, Ron called her over.  
He was just as tall and tanned as ever, and kind of handsome too.  
"Hey Hermione. Is it that bad?" he asked compassionate.  
"Not really, I just sniffed the onion a little to hard."  
Ron held up the cup he was going to drink from, and loot Hermione survey it.  
"It's right?" he asked, eager for her approval.  
"Yes," Hermione said, not noticing the small tear that fell into Ron's cup.  


"Now, the reaction to the potion differs from person to person, although the most common side-effect is an itch, sweet and gentle."  
She looked at the blue potion, and gulped it down.  
It felt like being hit by a train, and she thought she was falling.  
Everything went black.  
She opened her eyes quickly, and the classroom came into focus. She gasped after air.  
Then, she noticed something.  
Someone was clutching her hand.  
She looked to her side, and was astounded by the fact that it was he, Draco Malfoy, who was doing it.  
He too were gasping for air.  
"Sweet, itchy feeling my ass!" he exclaimed.  
Then, he seemed to regain his breath, and calmed down.  
He turned at her.  
"Why are you holding my hand, Granger?" he snapped.  
"I'm not holding your hand! It's you who's crushing mine!"  
"Then why don't you make me let go?"  
"Maybe I don't want you to!" she said, not thinking.  
"Fine, because I don't want to!" he snapped.  
She felt a blush rising on her cheeks, and she looked away.  
Across the room, Mercedes Nott was sitting on Harry's lap. Millicent Bullstrode was rolling her way-to-big eyes at Ron, in a way that had been seducive, hadn't it been for her..well, face.  
Draco tapped her shoulder. "Look at that!"  
She looked where he pointed, and almost choked.  
Because in the way back, Neville Longbottom was snuggling with Blaise Zabini. It was really weird seeing it, as the two of them were complete opposites. Blaise was tall and had black hair, while Neville was rather short and mousy- blonde.  
Hermione started thinking.  
Were they supposed to react like this?  
What if her and Draco's potion wasn't right?

At that moment, Snape came over, and started quizzing them about the effects of the potion.  
"Now, Mr. Malfoy, what did it feel like, taking the potion?"  
"Well, I can tell you one thing, professor; that was not an sweet itch."  
"More like being hit by a bludger," Hermione added.  
"I see," Snape muttered, and scrabbled down something on the piece of parchment he was carrying. "Now, Miss Granger, how did the potion taste?"  
"Bittersweet."  
Once again, he noted something.  
"Do you feel any different from the way you were before taking the potion, Mr. Malfoy?"  
Draco shook his head.  
"Then why are you holding Miss Granger's hand?" Snape snapped.  
Draco looked him straight in the eyes.  
"Because I like it."  
"And you, Miss Granger, why aren't you telling him to let go?"  
Hermione answered something she never would have said under normal conditions.  
"I don't want to, professor, that's why. It gives me a warm, comforting feeling."  
Hermione blushed.   
Why had she said that?  
Snape turned to Draco. Hermione could see his usual smirk return to his waxy face, and heard him dropping his 'professional' manner.  
"If you'll excuse us a couple of minutes Draco, I have to see Granger about the way you brewed your potion." He walked over to Hermione, and grabbed her arm, about to pull her up. But he never got that far.  
Draco stood up.  
"Professor Snape, she didn't do anything wrong! I watched her making the potion! If anyone did something wrong, it was me who did it! By the way, why are you picking on her? He never does anything wrong!" he said loudly.  
Snape loot go of Hermione's arm, scribbled a last thing, and returned to his desk.  
Hermione looked at Draco as they sat down again.  
It was weird, how his usual smirk seemed to be replaced with a charming smile.  
She had a sudden urge to kiss him, but luckily, she didn't.  
He lifted his eyebrows in worry.  
"I just wrecked our grade, didn't I?" he asked.  
She nodded, not really caring.

"Well, I am *pleased* to say that most of the couples got it right, with the exception of Weasley, who fell in love with someone else, and Mr Longbottom and Miss Zabini, who succeeded to screw up and make a passion potion. The two of you will stay behind and take some antidote after class."  
Lavender Brown's hand flew up into the air.  
"Yes, miss Brown?" Snape said, going through his papers.  
"Aren't all of us getting antidotes after class?"  
"No. You will get them next Monday, a week from now. Dumbledore said it would be an, Eherm (at this, he rolled his eyes), interesting experience for you."  


The bell rang, and Hermione got up and walked towards the door.  
There, she bumped into someone, and her books fell to the floor.  
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed.  
"Too bad for you! Watch it where you're..." the boy turned, and Hermione looked into a steel-grey set of eyes.   
The sight of them made her knees go weak.   
Yet another thing to blame on the potion.  
Draco.  
"Oh, Hermione," he said, "let me get these for you."  
He bent down and picked up her books.  
"Thank you, Draco."   
She glanced at her watch.  
"Oh no, I really have to get to Arithmancy!" she said, and as she was about to walk away, she heard his voice.  
"Could I walk you there? It's really not that far from my Ancient Runes-class."  
She smiled at him, blushing.  
"Sure."

This was going to be an interesting week...

A/N: Please tell me if I should continue this story! I'm not continuing it if I don't get at least 15 reviews. So if you want to read the rest, R&R!  
Disclaimer: I own the plot, the potions and Mercedes Nott (even though her surname is from the books). The rest belongs to her allmightyness JKR.


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